This is now officially an above-average year for Canada in Cannes and it could quite easily become its best ever.
Based on Canada’s usual winning percentage at the Cannes Lions and the total number of submissions this year, 18 Lions would have been an average year for Canada. About 1.95% of Canadian entries have won in Cannes since 2005.
With the trophies handed out in 13 of the 17 competitions in the main Festival, Canada already has won 23 Lions. At this point last year, Canada had eight. Five more on Saturday would tie Canada’s previous best of 28 in 2013, and a sixth would be a new high-water mark in terms of total wins.
With more competitions — and there is something new almost every year — there are more entries and more Lions to be awarded. But even Canada’s winning percentage (Lions won as a percentage of entries) is significantly better this year than any other in recent memory.
Through those 13 competitions, Canada had 718 entries, which means Canada is winning Lions at a rate of 3.2%. That’s even slightly above the total festival average of the past five years: 3.1%. If Canada can keep it going through the rest of the Festival, with 231 entries remaining, 30 Lions would be coming back to Canada.
A pretty good clue could come in just a couple of hours when the all-important Film shortlist is released.
To be sure, the Canadian performance here at the 62nd annual Cannes Lions owes a great deal to two campaigns so far: “#LikeAGirl” from Leo Burnett and “Groceries Not Guns” from Grey Toronto. Those two campaigns account for 13 of the 23 Lions so far and all eight of the Gold Lions.
10 Years of Canada in Cannes
2005 – 17 Lions from 616 entries (2.7%)
2006 – 15 Lions from 673 entries (2.2%)
2007 – 17 Lions from 671 entries (2.5%)
2008 – 8 Lions from 770 entries (1%)
2009 – 13 Lions from 800 entries (1.6%)
2010 – 13 Lions from 758 entries (1.7%)
2011 – 17 Lions from 798 entries (2.1%)
2012 – 19 Lions from 1,050 entries (1.8%)
2013 – 28 Lions from 1,106 entries (2.5%)
2014 – 14 Lions from 995 entries (1.4%)
2015 – ?? Lions from 949 entries
